


Respect and Responsibility

by ratheriiconic



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Child Abuse, F/M, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-03-20 09:44:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13715061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ratheriiconic/pseuds/ratheriiconic
Summary: Billy isn't the nicest person at the school and he knows it. He beat up Steve, constantly harasses Max, and constantly puts down Lucas Sinclair. He knows that he will never have a chance in Hell with Steve, his actions promising it.But that all changes as Neil does something to Billy, making him scarred for life. And he knows that while he shouldn't rely on anyone, not knowing what's to come next, he will always be glad that Harrington is there, to make his life a little easier.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This will have a crap ton of swearing and child abuse whether it's explicitly said or it is implied so take that with a grain of salt. Also, all the tags aren't up there, so keep an eye on the tags, as it will constantly get updated, just in case.
> 
> Also, this chapter is kind of short, just setting the scene a little bit. It will get longer as time goes on.
> 
> Hope you will enjoy this!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Neil stood up and went over to where a blanket was. He pulled off the blanket and revealed a trunk. “You see this trunk? This trunk is to be your new home. Your little home away from home.” He unlocked the trunk and opened it, smiling at Billy, motioning him to come towards him. “Get in the trunk.” Billy looked at him and tried to beg with his eyes not to let him go into the trunk. Neil patted the gun in his pocket. “Get in the trunk or I will kill you.”"
> 
> -
> 
> trigger warning for slurs and homophobic slurs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow...so I looked back at this and I decided that my writing could have been better so that's what I am doing. I am going back and changing things up so things are going to be a little, not a lot (don't have that much faith in me), better. So I hope that you don't get annoyed with the fact that I am going back and rewriting everything. Thanks for bearing through with me and I am so excited to see how this turns out

He doesn’t know how he found himself in this position. Whether it was the fact that he was in this dumb town or the fact that he was in love with a straight guy who was just cheated on by his girlfriend. 

 

He leaned against the door, waiting for Max to come out of the school and he was just admiring Steve with the group of friends that Max always hung out with and he just smiled when he saw the smile on Steve’s face. He doesn’t know when the attraction started with Steve but he knows that Steve doesn’t deserve any of the stuff that he does to him. It’s just like Billy was a younger version of his father and maybe that’s why he doesn’t try to date him at all. That and the fact that he is straight. 

 

“Billy?” His heart skipped a couple of beats when he heard Steve’s voice calling out his name and he couldn’t help but to smile. He saw the way that Steve looked at him and frowned, noticing how he thought it wasn’t the norm for Billy to smile, especially towards his direction. 

 

He took a huge gulp. “Yeah?” He responded pushing himself off of the car, shoving his hand into his back pockets.

 

“Is it okay if Max goes home with me? The kids are planning on having a huge D&D tournament and they don’t think it will be the same without her.”

 

_ Oh.  _ Billy nodded his head, forcing a smile on his face. “Of course. Just make sure that you don’t kill her or I will kill you.” He forced out, his heart deflating when Steve nodded his head, a little fear behind the action.

 

Billy got into the car and gripped the steering wheel before turning on the engine and pulling himself out of the school parking lot. He was thankful for the fact that it was a four day weekend. He needed the time to recollect his thoughts because he knew that if his father found out that he had a crush on a  _ guy,  _ he would die. Literally. He has come so close to death and he knew that that would be the tipping factor.

 

Looking out into the road, he took in a shaky breath once realizing his father was home earlier and the fact that he had no time to prepare himself for the beating of a lifetime. He pulled into the driveway and put the car into park, turning off the car and shakily got out of the car, closing the door behind him gently.

 

He walked up their driveway and he took out his house keys, unlocking the door and closing the door behind him. He glanced around the room, relieved to find no one there and started walking up the stairs, cringing when the stairs creaked.

 

“Billy?” His father called out and he swore in his head, turning around and smiled uneasily at his father who was standing there looking at him.

 

“Yes, sir?” He responded, knowing that’s what his father wanted from him. Not to be called dad or father but sir. Something cold so they won’t be associated with each other.

 

“Have a seat.” Billy’s father motioned his head towards the couches and Billy started walking down the stairs, making his way to the couches. He had a seat on the small loveseat, sitting rigid as his father sat down in front of him.

 

“I got a call from your school. They said that you got into yet another fight.” Billy opened his mouth to explain himself but Neil held his hand up. “I don’t care what your excuse is. What I want to know is what possessed you to do something like this. I took you under my roof after everything that has happened with your mom and opened my door up to you but you have to turn into a...a sissy fag.” Billy winced at the word. “You pierce your ears and have extremely long hair like it’s cool. You go around wearing tight jeans and these leather jackets like it’s okay. It’s not okay, Billy, and I am sick and tired of trying to teach you two basic principals in your life. Respect and responsibility. That’s all I’m asking from you and you can’t even get that right. I have half the mind to kill you.” And that’s when Billy’s eyes zeroed in on the fact that Neil had a gun in his hand.

 

Neil started waving the gun around. “One pull of this trigger and I can end these whole shenanigans.” Billy’s heart started beating faster and his hands started sweating. He rubbed his hands against his jeans and he couldn’t help himself but tremble. His eyes started tearing up and he tried to mentally prepare himself but how does one prepare themselves for death? “But I have another idea. I’m not going to kill you but I am going to make you wish you were dead. I’m going to take you out of all our lives.” 

 

Neil stood up and went over to where a blanket was. He pulled off the blanket and revealed a trunk. “You see this trunk? This trunk is to be your new home. Your little home away from home.” He unlocked the trunk and opened it, smiling at Billy, motioning him to come towards him. “Get in the trunk.” Billy looked at him and tried to beg with his eyes not to let him go into the trunk. Neil patted the gun in his pocket. “Get in the trunk or I will kill you.” 

 

Billy closed his eyes and let the tears that were welling up in his eyes fall out as he tried to squeeze into the trunk. Neil helped him in there, pushing his head into the most uncomfortable position there was. Neil just smirked as he closed the lid and locked the trunk. 

 

-

 

Max was squished between Will and Lucas. They were all around the table yelling at Dustin to make a move as Eleven was hanging out with Michael, talking about everything and nothing. Max laughed as Dustin swore. Lucas smiled at Max, laughing when she was hiding her face behind her hair and wow, she never had this much fun since she was in this blasted town. 

 

It all ended when Steve poked his head in the room, calling out for Max. He told her that her parents wanted for her to come home. She groaned, rolling her eyes and stood up, saying goodbye to everyone and followed Steve to his car.

 

She opened her door and slide into the passenger seat, buckling up and leaned her head against the window.

 

“Thanks for having us,” Max told Steve and Steve smiled, looking at her for a bit before training his eyes back on the road. “No, like really. You’re the older brother I never had. Billy’s a dick and I never want to see him again but now I have to go home and…” She trailed off and sighed, looking at the road. 

 

Steve opened his mouth. “My home is open to you at any time.” They pulled up into the house and Max smiled, opening the door and taking out her skateboard and bookbag, thanking him and closed the door.

 

She saw both Neil and Billy’s car in the driveway and hoped that World War III didn’t happen when she was gone. Unlocking the door, she looked around and saw Neil and her mom cleaning around the door. Closing the door behind her, she raised her eyebrows. “Where is Billy?”

 

Her mom shrugged her shoulders. “I haven’t seen him since he left for school. Neil said that he skipped town.”

 

“And his car? He was here after school? He left without it.” Max asked, setting her stuff down

 

“I guess. Well, can we do now? It’s too late to do anything now. It’s sure is going to be peaceful around here without him.” Neil stated.

 

Max nodded her head and looked around the house. Looked at her mother and step-father. It’s just them now. “Yeah, I guess.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part of it all was the fact that they were fine without him. That they didn’t need him. That they were better off without him. They laughed and talked and were just a family without him. That’s what hurt him the most."
> 
> -
> 
> In which Billy goes through some shit while in some shit and Max is having a great time of her life.

It was dark in the trunk. Cramped. Cold.

 

He was sore all over. 

 

The trunk. It smelled terrible. Piss and shit all over the place. All over him. It was a miracle that Max and Susan weren’t complaining about the smell because he was complaining about it himself.

 

But that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part of it all was the fact that they were fine without him. That they didn’t need him. That they were better off without him. They laughed and talked and were just a  _ family  _ without him. That’s what hurt him the most.

 

He heard Max laughing and his heart clenched because, wow, did she have a beautiful laugh. He loved hearing her as happy as he was and he has never hated himself more than this moment. The fact that he had a sister -- a sibling -- that he always wanted and what does he do? Treats her like shit. Granted, he wanted to care for her and protect her from Neil but he went about it the wrong way. He could’ve been there for her much better than he was. Supporting her instead of hindering her but it seems much too late now. It was the fact that she was now doing great on her own and that she didn’t need anyone for her but herself. 

 

He flinched when he heard the front door close and he waited for something. Anything. This was his least favorite part about being in the trunk. The fact that he is by himself. He tried to close his eyes and go to sleep but as soon as he got himself comfortable, there was a noise which jolted him up.

 

The trunk opened and he saw Neil there standing there, arms crossed. He raised an eyebrow. “You can have water or crackers. Your choice,” Neil told him, watching in amusement as Billy was trying to decipher which one he wanted. He didn’t realize how hungry or thirsty he was until Neil has brought it to his attention.

 

Neil got aggravated with him. “Hurry up, boy! Or you will have none!” He barked and he jumped and his eyes started watering. 

 

“Um, water,” he stuttered out. “Sir.” He added on. Neil nodded his head as he left Billy there for a while and came back with a glass of water. “Thank you, sir,” He whispered and started sipping a little bit and he was shaking a lot, looking at Neil who was glaring at him. He didn’t get halfway through the water before he dropped the glass, cutting himself all over.

 

Neil just laughed, pulling Billy out of the trunk and threw him on the ground. “I’d clean it up but I honestly don’t care. Clean yourself up. I don’t want you stinking up this house.” He picked him up and threw him into the bathroom. “Five minutes!”

 

He started walking to the shower and turned it on. Knowing that he can’t wait for the water to warm up, he stood in the shower and shivered in the shower. He took the loofah and starting rinsing himself off. After a while, his legs started shaking and he knew that he was going to collapse and his legs did give out of him.

 

The doorknob rattled as he was trying to get himself up and out of the shower. “Did anyone tell you that you can lock the door? No, I didn’t. You better hurry the hell up before I beat the shit out of you!” Neil yelled.

 

Billy forced himself off of the floor and shakily walked to the door, unlocking it and stood there as Neil backhanded him. He felt the blood in his mouth. “Don’t mistake this for kindness. Get back in the trunk.” Neil pointed to the trunk and Billy scrambled back into the trunk, the glass from earlier still there. As he lowered back into the trunk, the glass scratched him up, giving him wounds and scratches.

 

As the trunk closed he winced. And he didn’t know if it was from the loud, defeaning sound or the glass cutting into his legs.

 

-

 

“Where’s your brother?” Steve asked Max as she came out of the building. 

 

Max, who was about to skate awawy to her house, stopped and looked at Steve, tightening the straps of her bookbag, rocking back and forth on her feet. “Neil said he ran away. He came in this morning to let the school know and he is thinking about pulling Billy out of school in general. Just in case he wants to return home or something. Why?”

 

Steve shrugged, looking anywhere but at Max. “No reason.”

 

Max rolled her eyes, scoffing at the lie that Steve said. “Don’t lie to me. I know that there is something else besides this sudden curiousity of Billy. What? You’re glad that you have your terf back? Or do you have a crush on him?” She joked around. Steve coughed and started blushing. “No.” She said, her smile turning into a frown. “No.” She repeated once again, furrowing her eyebrows. “You’re kidding me.” She didn’t know what to do with this information as her eyes welled up with tears. “How could you fall in love with that...that monster?” 

 

Steve leaned up against the car. “I don’t  _ love  _ him. Simply like him. And you are too hard on him. He’s hardly a monster. We dealt with monsters, Max.”   
  


“He’s not a monster, Steve,” Max started. “He’s worse because at least with a monster you don’t have a consience. He beat you within an inch of your life. He tried to kill Lucas. Kill me.” Max took a deep breath and she just shook her head. “You know what. I don’t care. You can like who you can like. Even if they will try to kill you.” 

 

“Max--” Steve tried to grab her arm and Max shook it of.

 

“Give me tonight to think about it. Well, not think about it but be okay with it okay.” Max placed her skateboard on the ground and she smiled at Steve. “Don’t worry. You’re still my favorite.” She gave Steve a quick hug and started riding home. 

 

She loves riding. She loves the sense of being free and no one telling her what to do -- within reason of course. She loves seeing the sun and she even loves getting the bruises and scrapes because she got those doing what she love. She rode up onto the driveway and picked it up, tucking it underneath her arms. She unlocked the door and placed her skateboard by the door and ran into the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out a can of Pepsi. 

 

Opening it up, she looked for ingredients for a sandwich, knowing well that her mom isn’t going to be here tonight, going away for business and Neil usually doesn’t bring take out until the last day. 

 

Making the sandwich and putting the ingredients away, she plopped herself in the living room and turned on the tv. She started flipping through the channels and sighing when she didn’t find anything, not that she should be expecting something.

 

She turned off the tv and started munching on her sandwich and she popped open the soda and started drinking it. She stopped when she heard something. Looking around, she tried to find out where the noise was coming from and the noise happened again. She looked and then looked next to her, seeing the trunk and the red and white checkered blanket on top of it. She pulled the blanket off and saw the trunk with a lock on it.

 

She got off of the coach and examined the trunk. She looked around and tried to find a key. While she was walking around the room, the front door opened and Neil came in with a box of pizza. 

 

“Are you okay?” Neil asked, closing the door with his foot and set the box down. 

 

“There’s a trunk. What’s in there?” Max asked and Neil frowned.

 

“My old guns. You shouldn’t have been snooping, Maxine,” Neil scolded. She winced at the use of her full name. He rolled his eyes and smiled. “Wanna help me bring it up? To my room?” Maxine shrugged her shoulders and went to once side of the trunk. “Geez, Neil, how many guns do you have in here?” Max asked, voice straining as she lifted one side of the guns.

 

“Enough,” Neil laughed, picking up the other side. “I was a bit of a gun fanatic back in the day and I have a problem with letting thing go.” Max nodded her head, groaning and grunting as she struggled to carry the trunk up the stairs. 

 

Going in front of Neil’s door, Neil opened it up and went into the room, opening up the closet. Going back to Max and the trunk, they lifted and moved the trunk into the room and placed the trunk into the closet and Neil closed the door to the closet.

 

Smiling at Max and ruffling her hair, they laughed. “Up for some pizza?”

 

Max nodded her head. “Do you even have to ask?” 


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Max?” Steve asked. “Aren’t you supposed to be at school?”
> 
> “Aren’t you?” She shot back and then she sighed and allowed the tears to come to her for the first time since she saw everything. “Can you pick me up? I don’t want to be alone.”
> 
> -
> 
> In which Billy is still suffering but has a savior so to speak.
> 
> -
> 
> mentions of graphic violence (well ish) -- torture

He knew he was in trouble when Max started talking about the trunk. He shouldn’t have made the noise but it was hard not to with the glass cutting into him every single time he took in a breath. He knew that he was in for the time of his life whenever Neil opened up the trunk. He thought it was going to be soon but with it being dark and there was no sense of time and space in this small trunk, he couldn’t prepare himself and he was on edge the entire time.

 

He hasn’t slept a wink since the move of the trunk and he knew that he should be trying to but his nerves were high and he couldn’t calm him down. He had about three panic attacks when in this trunk and they lasted long enough that he thought he was going to die all three times and he was okay with that. He’d rather be dead then spend another moment in the trunk alive but there was no guarantee that Neil would leave him in the trunk for as long as he could. The only reason why he didn’t want to die is because of that. It’s because of the fact that he wouldn’t be buried next to his mother and that’s all he wanted. That’s the only thing that is keeping him alive.

 

The door opened and his heart started beating faster as the closet door opened and the sounds of keys were being produced. A click of the lock unlocking and he started crying. The lid opened and there stood Neil, arms crossed and his infamous pissed off look was on his face. Neil grabbed him by the hair and pulled him out of his trunk. 

 

He cried out, the glass embedded in his skin hitting the ground and got slapped in the face for this. “Shut the fuck up!” Neil roared and he bit his lip hard, blood coming from how hard he was biting. “I asked for one thing and you can’t even do that right. You can’t even be quiet. I have half the mind to cut your tongue out,” Neil told him, producing a chef’s knife. His eyes started watering once again. “Stop fucking crying!” Neil screamed, cutting the top part of his ear off. He screamed out, not used to this blinding pain and Neil was super pissed off. “I was going to clean up the glass for you if you could be quiet this once but I guess you can’t.”

 

Neil walked away and he held his ear in his hand, not wanting to get blood on the carpet. Neil came back with a sock, duct tape, and a box of tacks. He then grabbed a hold of his hair, pulling it up, making him cry out and Neil shoved the sock in his mouth. He gagged on it and Neil threatened to him that he better keep the sock in there because, at this point, Neil was absolutely sick of it. He then took the tape and started placing it over his mouth, wrapping his face with the duct tape to ensure that he wouldn’t cry out anymore. 

 

He then had this shit eating grin and he took the box of tacks and started pouring it into the trunk, grabbing him by the ear that he had just cut and forced him into the trunk. He cried out but due to the makeshift gag, couldn’t cry out to the extent that he wanted to and Neil smiled, closing the trunk and he was on the verge of having another panic attack. The worst part about this was the fact that he couldn’t breathe. He was trying to breathe in through his nose but it wasn’t enough air that he didn’t stop feeling light headed. 

 

The door opened again and he was on the verge of passing out, knowing right now that Neil has come back to kill him. That he wasn’t quiet enough even with the gag in his mouth. He tried to will himself to pass out but he couldn’t and wow, his death was going to be really painful and he wasn’t going to be buried next to his mother and he was never going to see Max grow up into the beautiful young woman he knew that she was going to be.

 

“Billy?” And with that one word, he passed out.

 

-

 

Max came back home, realizing that she left her homework in her room and was planning on calling Steve for a ride to school when she heard someone crying out and she knew she knew that voice. It was Billy, the same cries that always happened whenever Neil started beating the shit out of him and for the most part she could see why but there was no reason behind this now, was there?

 

She snuck upstairs and went to her mom and Neil’s room, pushing the door open a little bit as she saw Billy there, not holding himself up but Neil doing it with his hair. The moment that Neil let his hair go, Billy sagged and Neil started screaming at him to be quiet. There were cuts and dried blood all over himself. He was wearing the same clothes that he was wearing last Friday, stains all over it.

 

It took her a while for the smell to come to her and when it did, she gagged, thankful that Neil was too busy yelling at Billy to realize that she did gag. She continued looking until Neil cut a piece of Billy’s ear off of him and she watched the piece fell to the floor and she felt like throwing up.

 

Neil laughed and was making his way to leave the room and Max ran into her room, closing the door softly as she was trying to wrap her mind behind this entire situation. She knew that Neil was a dick but this entire time she thought that he deserved some of that, especially for the stuff that he did to her but now everything was confusing as she heard the front door close. Waiting a couple of minutes, she went into Neil’s room and opened the closet door. 

 

Kneeling next to the trunk, she wrung her hand and asked. “Billy?” There was no response. “I promise I will get you out even if it’s the last thing I do. I promise.” She kissed her hand and then the lid of the trunk, going to the house phone and called Steve.

 

“Max?” Steve asked. “Aren’t you supposed to be at school?” 

 

“Aren’t you?” She shot back and then she sighed and allowed the tears to come to her for the first time since she saw everything. “Can you pick me up? I don’t want to be alone.”

 

Steve coughed into the phone and made a noise of agreement. “I’ll be there in ten.” Max thanked him and then hung up the phone, running into the front of the house and sat on the steps.

 

She allowed herself to sob and cry and scream as she waited for Steve to come. Once he did, he pulled into the driveway and parked the car, rushing out of the door. He looked and felt like shit but he still came for Max, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, comforting her. 

 

They sat there for a few and once she was done, she started talking. “Billy’s still here. Neil lied to me. He has Billy locked up in a trunk since the day he ran away and--” she sobbed. “I’ve never seen him so scared in my life. He looked so...so broken.” She wiped the tears but it did her no good as the tears kept on falling down. “Neil even cut off the top of his ear.” She told Steve.

 

Steve didn’t say anything for a while, his lips quivering. They sat there for a while and Max spoke up again. “I’m such an asshole. I always liked it when Billy got a taste of his own medicine and now look at him. It’s so much worse than I thought it was. We have to do something.”

 

“We have to go to the police,” Steve told her and Max agreed but they allowed themselves to sit there for a while, collecting their thoughts.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hopper pulled out a pair of handcuffs and started reciting the godforsaken speech that he wasn’t expecting to ever say in his life here in Hawkins, Indiana, all while putting said handcuffs on him."
> 
> In which shit finally gets done while everything about Billy's life is now in the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not a police officer. I am also not a doctor. While having a tiny bit of information about both career fields, most of my information has come from the internet. Please don't rip me apart and if there is anything wrong then let me know. Also, sorry that it took me a while to update this. I should be back but there are no promises.

The vehicle came screeching to a halt with Hopper coming out with the bolt cutter in tow. The ambulance which was behind him as the light was flashing and the sirens were ringing throughout the silent neighborhood, drawing out the attention of the nosey neighbors surrounding them.

The door, which remained unlocked for Hopper, opened when he twisted the knob. Stepping into the living room, waiting until Max and Steve caught up with him, he asked Max to show him the way to her parents' room. She did so, leading him up the stairs and into the hallway which held the entire family's bedrooms, opening the door belonging to her mom and Neil’s room, pointing to the trunk that was left right there in the open. Both her and Steve was standing back watching as Hopper cut the lock from the trunk and opening the lid. The paramedics came into the room with a stretcher, carefully lifting up the unconscious Billy from the trunk as Hopper muttered something to them. They saw him peep inside the trunk as his face turned red and he excused himself to walk outside.

The paramedics strapped Billy onto the stretcher and when they were all secured, they followed Hopper outside which caused Steve and Max to follow them outside.

They couldn’t really see Billy’s face or anything of him at all, watching as they loaded up Billy into the back of the ambulance and the ambulance rolling away from them.

Max went next to Hopper who was looking extremely pissed off as he was smoking a Camel. He blew out the smoke, causing Max to cough a little as she asked Hopper what was going to happen to her parents.

“I’m going to arrest Neil and try to see if we can get a hearing and throw him behind bars,” Hopper stated. “Does Susan participate in any of this?” Hopper asked seriously.

“No, but she watches as Neil hits him around and doesn’t do anything to stop him.”

“I can’t do anything about her except to take Billy from her custody until she shows that she is fit to be a parent to Billy.” Hopper shrugged. “She can go to parenting classes and whatnot but we are going to have Child Protective Services on our case.”

“And me? I don’t want to stay with her anymore. I want to be with Billy.”

Hopper ruffled her hair as she grimaced and backed up. “I’ll see what I can, kiddo. That’s all I can promise.” He saw that Steve was staring off into the distance.

“Listen, kiddo, why don't you get some stuff to spend a couple of days with Steve. You should head to his house because the hospital won’t let anyone come through for the first day. As soon as I hear anything, I will let you guys know.”

He saw how Max was about to argue but then all the fight left her body as she nodded her head and went to Steve, passing the message that Hopper said and he saw all the energy draining out of Steve as they walked back into the house.

He saw as Neil pulled into the driveway, the color draining from his face and Neil trying to compose himself, not expecting Hopper in the front yard.

At this point, Steve and Max came out of the house with duffle bags and watched as Neil realized what was happened.

Hopper pulled out a pair of handcuffs and started reciting the godforsaken speech that he wasn’t expecting to ever say in his life here in Hawkins, Indiana, all while putting said handcuffs on him.

“Neil Hargrove, you are under arrest for child abuse, child abandonment, and domestic violence. You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you don’t have an attorney, one will be given to you. Do you understand these rights that I have read to you?”

He ignored as Neil was struggling to get out the handcuffs as he opened the door and shoved Neil into the backseat, making sure he was secure before closing the door. He moved up to the driver’s seat, leaving behind the scene, making sure that Powell and Callahan were there to secure the scene, and the nosy neighbors.

-

Hopper went into the hospital after settling everything with Neil.

He walked up to the front desk and asked for Hargrove, the receptionist handing out directions to go to his room.

Hopper thanked her and started heading out to where Billy was in ICU and he walked into the room, anger surfacing into him as he saw Billy there, bruises all over his face, his hair cut off, and his ear bandaged up.

“He’s in a medically induced coma.” The doctor told him as he walked into the room. “He woke up while we were trying to get to all of the injuries and he was lashing out. He’ll be in the coma for at least a week. This will also give time to all of his injuries without him trying to harm himself any more than he is injured.

Hopper nodded his head in understanding.

“Anything else?”

“His muscles became atrophied, meaning that they started losing their strength, due to the fact that he didn’t have the chance to exercise his muscles, meaning that he will be contained into a wheelchair until he can get into physical therapy. He had a blood transfusion with all the blood that he had lost, which means that he can experience dizziness and fever like symptoms. He also has a broken tibia which will take about three to six months of healing. His ribs are broken, which will make it hard for him to breathe. The tip of his ear was cut off while his earring was ripped out of his ear causing him to have an ear infection with how unsanitary he was when he came here. His wrist is fractured which will take about eight weeks. The bruises are the easiest part which will take him about two to three weeks to heal. He is probably going to stay here until we get him hydrated and make sure that he can hold his food down. If there are any other complications then we will have to keep him longer.” The doctor recited while looking through his clipboard.

“Thanks, doc. Keep me updated.”

“Will do,” the doctor said, leaving the room.

A woman walked into the room shortly after. She extended her hand, her nails perfectly manicured, as Hopper took her hand into his and shook it.

“Hello, Mr. Chief Jim Hopper. My name is Kelsey Lee and I am the caseworker regarding the case of Mr. William Hargrove. If you have a minute, I would love to talk to you regarding the housing of Mr. William and the custody situation.”

Hopper nodded his head, leading Kelsey out of the room.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I cannot sit here, pretending that everything is fine when my step-father is sitting in jail and my brother is in the hospital and my mother is god knows where and I can’t take this anymore." 
> 
> -
> 
> In which Max's loyalty shifts and the gang's does too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm back and this might be shitty. i wanted to get this out before i crashed. hope you enjoy this mediocre chapter. it will get better hopefully

“You’re a bitch!” Max snapped, punching Mike in the face.

Mike didn’t have the time to block his face as everyone heard the sickening thud of his nose breaking.  But she didn’t stop there.  Of course not.  She kept on coming down on him, everyone trying to pull her off of Mike.  When they got her off of him, she screamed and stormed off from the cafeteria.

Will looked between the bloody face of Mike and the shadow of Max walking away.  No one followed Max as she stormed off of the cafeteria but he did pull out his small first aid kit from his bag.  He sat the kit on the floor, ordering Mike to come to him.  Opening the kit, Will took out some alcohol gauze and started dabbing it all over his face.  He laughed when Mike winced and then opened his mouth.

“You know, you deserve it after all the shit you’ve been talking.”

Mike huffed.  “You know it’s the truth.”

“And we know you’re a bitch,” Will spoke, placing the kit back into his bag as he looked around.  Everyone looked at him in surprise and shock as he just swore for the first time ever.  He ignored the looks and continued on.  “You honestly can’t expect Max to act okay with what you said.  You said that he deserved everything that was coming towards him.  No matter how much someone is a jerk to someone else, no one deserves to be beaten within an inch of their lives.”

“Do you realize how much of a hypocrite you are being?  This is someone who already tried to kill us.  To kill _Steve_.”

“And at least we know the reason behind that.  His life was threatened every day from what Max was telling us and then you have to go to her and tell her that, after everything she witnessed, that he deserves it.  Her entire perspective of life just changed and she has already witnessed everything first hand.  Of course, she is going to be extremely protective of Billy.  Especially since he isn’t here to defend himself.” Will sighed and got up from the table.  “Just put yourself in their position.  At least you have parents that care for you.”

Outside the cafeteria, Max ran until she found the classroom that Steve was in.  She jumped up and down, waving her hands as she gained the attention of not only Steve but the entire class.  Steve looked shocked as he excused himself from the classroom, eyes widening as he left the room.  He was ready to reprimand her as he stepped out of the classroom until he saw the tears in her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

Max shook her head as she wiped the tears going down her face, frustrated at her for allowing herself to get riled up because of this.  “Steve, I cannot be here right now.  I’m going to kill someone if I end up staying here.  Can we please go to the hospital?  I cannot sit here, pretending that everything is fine when my step-father is sitting in jail and my brother is in the hospital and my mother is god knows where and I can’t take this anymore.  I don’t even know why I am here.”

Steve brought Max into a hug, kissing her forehead, nodded his head.  “Yeah, okay, Max.  We can go.”

-

“He looks dead,” Max commented, from where she was on the seat, holding Billy’s hand.

“He’s just in a coma.  He should be up tomorrow.  His body should be okay to accept the pain that he is in or something like that,” Steve said, looking at the broken and bruised and battered body.  It was nothing like the beating Billy gave Steve that night.

“Billy was always strict about curfew, you know?  He would always get angry because of the fact that I was never where I told him that I would be in.  At first, I thought it was because he was an asshole.  Now I know it was because of the fact that Neil,” she spits out his name like venom, “was doing things like this to him.  I always thought that Billy was the bad guy.  He was just a caged animal who attacked when he feared that he was being threatened.”

She couldn’t get the look out of her of when he got out of the trunk.  That face was probably going to come up every time she looks at him but she knows that she won’t leave him for anything.  Not even for the people that dare call them her friends.

-

“There’s no point of waiting for her.  She isn’t coming,” Mike announced from where he was playing games.  The four of them turned around and glared at Mike who was just staring at the screen.  Jane moved the joystick, making Mike lose to which he cried out.  “Hey!  What was that for?”

“You’re a bitch, you know that, Mike?” Dustin asked where he was crossing his arms.

“I honestly don’t see what you guys are talking about.  Billy just got what was coming to him.”

“It’s pathetic, really,” Will commented, grabbing his jacket, the others following suit.

“Wait, guys, where are you going?” Mike asked, chasing the others, cursing underneath his breath.

“I’m heading to the hospital.  Max would be there and since she isn’t with us, I’m going to go and be there for both her and Billy.” The others nodded after Lucas finished his comment,  agreeing with him and Mike just rolled his eyes, going back to where he was playing.

-

“How’s he doing?” Lucas asked Max.

Billy was sitting up, him waking from the coma earlier than the doctors thought and they don’t know why he did so, just that it was rare for someone to wake up from a medically induced coma.

He looked at the number of people in the room apprehensively, the heartbeat monitor showing that he was not comfortable in the room.

Half of these people in the room are out to kill him and how about if Neil got to them, telling them to finish the job.

He couldn’t breathe.

There were too many people there and that was risky.

He started mumbling underneath his breath, pulling on the hair that was still there.

Max shifted her attention of trying to answer Lucas’s question to make the mistake of touching Billy where he was now screaming in fear, rocking back and forth,  alternating between pulling his hair and scratching himself.  She looked at the scene and she doesn’t know what to do.  None of them does until Hopper came into the room, ten minutes later, kicking all of them out.

“He’s never going to be the same.” She muttered, answering Lucas’s question.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "“That’s why you came. To get insight into what I am doing in my life.”" 
> 
> -
> 
> in which something happens which shifts the dynamic of billy's mental health and his relationship.

He didn’t know that he got out on bail. That’s why when Billy opened his eyes and saw he saw that his father was in the room, he panicked and he couldn’t say anything because there Neil was, choking him out.

 

The tears that were gathering int Billy eyes escaped as he struggled to breathe. “I’m only going to say this once and only once. I want you to drop the charges. I won’t talk to you or to Maxine but I don’t want to sit behind bars for the rest of my life.” He squeezed Billy’s neck tighter. “Do I make myself clear?” Billy nodded his head as much as he could. He just wanted his father out of the situation. Out of the room.

 

Neil pulled back and slapped Billy’s face a couple of times, lightheartedly. “Make sure no one knows that I was here, okay?” Billy nodded and Neil smiled and left.

 

Billy allowed himself to cry when Neil left the room and he wasn’t sure who opened the door and tried to touch him but he lashed out. He lashed out to the point that nurses came in and even though the mind of him panicking, he heard that they wanted to sedate him and he knew what that entailed for him. He would wake up and be disorientated and in a more vulnerable position that he was now, and with his father as a threat at every moment, he could not afford that possibility.

 

He tried to calm himself down, but the most he can do was stop thrashing which was enough for the nurses at that moment. They backed up from him and took notice of how he was. He couldn’t calm down. Not until a familiar came through. 

 

“Are you okay, kid?” Hopper’s voice ran through and, as pathetic at it was, Billy started breathing and gasping to allow the number of breaths that he needed to satisfy his lungs. When Hopper sat on Billy’s hospital bed, Billy threw himself on Hopper, wrapping his arms around Hopper’s neck and allowed the rest of the tears to escape his eyes. When he emptied his tear ducts, Hopper pulled Billy away from him, wiping the tears that were silently escaping his eyes. “What’s the matter, kid?”

 

Billy whined. “I don’t want to press charges against him.” He stopped for a moment. “My father, that is.”

 

Hopper raised his eyebrows. “It’s out of your hands now, Billy. It’s a matter of the state, now.”

 

Billy shook his head repeatedly. He felt the hands that were choking him not an hour ago coming down on him and, while Billy wanted to say something, anything, he couldn’t. He was opening and closing his mouth, holding his hands as someone was choking him. 

 

He was going to die. His father is going to find a way to come to him and he is going to kill him. He knows it. He knows this. He could hear Hopper trying to calm him down. To help him find a reason for wanting to do this but Billy shook his head. 

 

“I’m not testifying against him,” Billy informed the man. Hopper looked distressed as he tried to rack the right words to get Billy to stand against his father. 

 

“Without you, the case will fall through. Neil will walk a free man.”

 

Billy shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t care. I’m not going to testify against him.”

 

“How about Max? Do you want Neil to be able to get his hands on her?”   
  


Billy’s eyes widened. The entire reason why Billy was strict on her was so that Max would never have to feel the pain that he had to. That, if Neil has the perfect behavior of Max and the not-so-perfect disgraceful acts of Billy, then she would be safe. And all of that would go down the drain if Neil puts his hands on her. But he won’t be able to protect her if he was dead. 

 

He gripped the hospital bed sheets as he looked up to Hopper. “I can’t do it, Hopper. I cannot protect her if I am  _ dead. _ ”

 

Hopper did a double take. “Dead? What do you mean by dead?”

 

Billy shook his head, biting his lips. “I need you to go. I need space.” Hopper nodded his head and put his hand on Billy’s shoulder, squeezing it. “I’m here for you, kid. If you ever need someone to talk to, anyone at all, then I am here. It’s going to be okay, okay?”

 

Billy nodded his head, agreeing with Hopper even though everything in his body is telling him that he will never get over this. That Neil will always be one step ahead of him and that Billy will never have a moment of peace. He believed that, maybe, just maybe, Neil was right in what he believed. That no one would go through all of this trouble if the person that they were hurting was worth it. Maybe he wasn’t worth it. Actually, scratch that, he knows that he isn’t worth it.

 

There was a knock on the door. “Chief, sir, with all due respect, I really don’t want to see you right now,” Billy mumbled out, closing his eyes.

 

The door opened. “Actually, it’s me.” Billy opened his eyes and there was Steve, peaking in the doorway. “Is it okay if I come inside?” Billy closed his eyes and nodded his head, allowing Steve to come in. He heard Steve’s footsteps and the scrapping of the chair which ended coming closer to his bed. “Max and I got something for you.”

 

Billy opened one eye and saw a teddy bear in Steve’s hands. “It’s sort of stupid but we both saw this teddy bear and how we had one of these to comfort us when we were younger. It seemed as if you never had comfort in your life and maybe this could be a source of comfort when no one is there for you.”   
  


The bear wasn’t big. It was an average size brown teddy bear with patches on its hands and feet. There was a plaid, pale yellow bow around its neck with red stripes. Billy took the bear from Steve’s hands and held it fragilely. He smiled when looking at the bear and looked at Steve. “Thanks. It isn’t stupid. It means the world to me. Thank you.” He put the bear beside him on the bed.

 

“Hopper called me. He said that you don’t want to testify against Neil?” Steve asked and Billy glared at him.

 

“That’s why you came. To get insight into what I am doing in my life. Do you actually want to be with me, Harrington, or are you pitying me?” Billy forced out, a fierce feeling coursing through him, something that he cannot identify. But there is a feeling that he can identify and that’s hurt. The fact that Steve wasn’t here because he  _ cared  _ about Billy but because he might have felt bad for Billy. That he was already a screw-up at school who needed to be on top of things at school because he had no sense of control in his life at home. 

 

Steve looked taken aback as he hurried to continue on what he was trying to say. “That’s not the reason why--”

 

“You don’t have to say anything, Steve. You don’t have to be here if you want. It’s okay. Actually, I’d prefer if you aren’t in the room. Please leave.” Steve sat in the seat, telling Billy that he wasn’t going to go anywhere. Not when Billy was feeling like this. “Steve, leave.” Billy put a little bit of force behind his words, trying to get Steve to go. “Leave before I call security on you.” Steve looked at Billy, held eye contact with him for a few seconds before finding what he needed and nodded, getting up.

 

“Okay. If that’s what you want.”

 

“It’s what I need. And can you send a nurse this way? I don’t feel too good.” Another nod and just as Steve left, twenty seconds later, his main nurse came rushing into the room. 

 

“Are you okay? What hurts?”

 

“Can you please allow no more visitors for the rest of the day? Tomorrow too?” The nurse nodded her head, her brown curls escaping as she smiled sadly.

 

“Of course, sweetie. Anything else?”

 

“I’m going to head to sleep,” he informed her and she nodded her head once again as she exited the room. Billy turned on his side as he pulled the blanket over him. He closed his eyes and not too long after his eyes closed, he fell asleep. And if he unconsciously pulled the teddy bear closer to him, it doesn’t matter. It wasn’t hurting anyone at that moment.


End file.
